A Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Digital Health Solution for Outpatients Seeking Support for Substance Use

NCT ID: NCT05094440

Last Updated: 2023-09-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 76 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-11-08
• Study Completion Date: 2023-05-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a dialectical behavior therapy skills training webapp known as "Pocket Skills" in outpatients and community members seeking treatment for substance use, across those who receive immediate versus delayed access to the intervention (e.g., a waitlist control condition).

Detailed Description

Seventy adult outpatients and community members seeking treatment for substance use from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Addictions Program will be randomized to receive immediate or delayed (1 month) access to a web-based DBT skills training intervention called Pocket Skills in addition to standard care. Participants will complete interviews and questionnaires at baseline. Following baseline, participants complete questionnaires at months 1, 2, and 3 months. Measures will assess alcohol and drug consumption, substance use disorder symptoms, and other clinical features.

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder; Substance Use Disorders

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Immediate Treatment

Pocket Skills is a dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) webapp that includes video lessons, an interactive chatbot AI coach, and in-app exercises to practice DBT skills. The delivery of the app intervention will be primarily monitored for one month, but followed for up to 3 months, and will be supplemented with a walk through manual and links to DBT worksheets. The intervention will be delivered in conjunction with treatment as usual which includes standard psychosocial care (e.g., assessments, group, and individual programming) as part of the Addictions Program or greater community.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Pocket Skills is a dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) webapp that includes video lessons, an interactive chatbot AI coach, and in-app exercises to practice DBT skills. The delivery of the app will occur primarily over 1 month, followed by 2 months of follow-up, and will be supplemented with a walk through manual and links to DBT worksheets.

Waitlist and Delayed Treatment

Waitlist control whereby outpatients or members of the community will wait 1 month (4 weeks) to receive the intervention and then receive the Pocket Skills webapp for the subsequent 2 months (8 weeks). The waitlist period and subsequent intervention will be delivered in conjunction with treatment as usual which includes standard psychosocial care (e.g., assessments, group, and individual programming) as part of the Addictions Program.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Pocket Skills is a dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) webapp that includes video lessons, an interactive chatbot AI coach, and in-app exercises to practice DBT skills. The delivery of the app will occur primarily over 1 month, followed by 2 months of follow-up, and will be supplemented with a walk through manual and links to DBT worksheets.

Interventions

Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST)

Pocket Skills is a dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) webapp that includes video lessons, an interactive chatbot AI coach, and in-app exercises to practice DBT skills. The delivery of the app will occur primarily over 1 month, followed by 2 months of follow-up, and will be supplemented with a walk through manual and links to DBT worksheets.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Pocket Skills

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

1. 18-65 years of age

2. Fluency in English

3. Understanding and willingness to comply with study requirements

4. Referred to Addictions Program at CAMH or seeking treatment from the community and currently waiting for psychosocial services

5. Smartphone, tablet, or computer with access to the Internet

6. Reports at least "contemplation" levels of wanting to reduce substance use

7. Use of target substance in past month

8. Alcohol or substance use disorder in the past year

Exclusion Criteria

1. Any known practical factor that would preclude participation (e.g., extended absences)

2. Untreated or unstable severe psychiatric or medical disorder that precludes participation in the study (e.g., acute suicidality, untreated psychosis)

3. Participation in another treatment/intervention study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Missouri, St. Louis

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Lena Quilty

Senior Scientist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Lena C. Quilty, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, CAMH

Locations

Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Countries

Canada

References

Daros AR, Guimond TH, Yager C, Palermo EH, Wilks CR, Quilty LC. Feasibility, Acceptability, and Potential Efficacy of a Self-Guided Internet-Delivered Dialectical Behavior Therapy Intervention for Substance Use Disorders: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health. 2024 Jan 16;11:e50399. doi: 10.2196/50399.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 38227362 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

http://camh.ca/research

Information about research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Other Identifiers

016/2021

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id